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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26386099">The Love Club</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tragicallywicked/pseuds/tragicallywicked'>tragicallywicked</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jasper &amp; Alice Verses [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twilight Series - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Jalice centric, alternative universe, but lots of mentions of the olympic coven fam, high school non-vampire jalice, non-vampire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:14:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26386099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tragicallywicked/pseuds/tragicallywicked</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alice Cullen is a social butterfly at Forks High and the moment she meets the quiet blonde Jasper Whitlock things seem to click inside her. Even with her older brothers doubts about the guy, she has no question that she's falling madly in love with Jasper.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jasper &amp; Alice Verses [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>On my tumblr I posted asking people to send me Jalice prompts and this was the first one, thought I would share it with you lovely readers. It was just a short fun story that turned longer than expected. I loved adapting the dynamics of the Cullens for the sake of the plot, and hope you like it too!</p><p>High school non-vampire jalice, requested by anonymous</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Forks High School was full of singular folks, but most of them were people I cared for and adored dearly. I wasn't what people would call </span>
  <em>
    <span>the popular kid</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but I did know everyone. For one, because I engaged heavily in extra-curricular activities but also because I often threw the most epic parties in town. Both served me to alternate between all sorts of school cliques. I never really </span>
  <em>
    <span>cared</span>
  </em>
  <span> for approval or admiration; I appreciated meeting so many unique and exciting people.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My family was also very well-known in town. My father, Carlisle, was a doctor in Forks' local hospital—a very excellent one, in fact. My mom Esme was the imagery of compassion. She hadn't worked in many years, as raising three kids was a handful. That didn't stop her from running several charity events, supporting the local businesses and always absorbing the community. I don't remember a single time she missed school recitals or parents' meetings. They were both an inspiration in my life. I loved them more than dearly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I also had two older brothers, Edward and Emmett. Edward was the oldest, and although he wasn't as popular as Emmett, he was sure involved in the school's activities. Meaning he was a big nerd, somewhat like myself. But he was a refined nerd. All the girls swooned over his great admiration for Shakespeare and Jane Austen. I mean, of course, all the female body would go crazy about a boy quoting Sense and Sensibility in class. He also had inherited our mom's charming smile, so that added to his tab.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the longest time, Edward didn't pay that much interest in the girls in school, though; he was very involved in his studies. That was until he met Bella. She was my best friend before they started dating—still is, but just saying I knew her first. Her father is the town's chief of police, and she hadn't actually visited since we were both kids. Still, we kept in touch while she was living in Phoneix with her mother as much as possible. Having her back for high school was amazing; it was like she never left for our friendship. I brought her home the first day of Freshman year, Edward was a junior then, and they totally got along. No wonder since she's a big dork like him. Bella was always like a sister to me, so it's not like I disapproved of the relationship at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My other brother Emmett, now a junior, was entirely opposite from Edward. He was a big jock. And when I say big, I mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The boy was gigantic! Which is funny because before he used to be shorter than Edward and then out of nowhere, he outgrew him by almost an entire foot. He's also captain of the football team who dates the head cheerleader and big-time badass Rosalie Hale. People hated Rosalie mostly because she was drop-dead gorgeous and very aware of that. She didn't bully people, but she sure as hell ignored a whole bunch of them. Her time was just too precious, she told me once when I questioned her about it. Me she loved, obviously. But they made a truly perfect match. Emmett was head over heels for Rose; there isn't a thing she would ask that he wouldn't do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a lot of pressure on Emmett, being on the team, and having to follow Edward's footsteps on grades and in-class participation. Some joked he was dumb, which I always found notably awful. But he didn't bother. Emmett was nothing if not incredibly smart; he just focused on different things—like sports. You could ask Emmett anything about any sports at any time in history, and he would know how to answer. But even with all the talks for his not so great grades, Emmett never really cared. He was a laid back type unless it came to sports, of course. And our parents always understood it, especially mom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was the youngest and smallest of them all. Literally next to Emmett, I was a gnome. They always joked around school how I was a pixie or an infiltrated elementary school student. But even then, it wasn't ever challenging for me to blend in. Even Bella herself had had a harder time making friends. I suppose because I've always been straightforward with people, I ask and say what's on my mind. That's how I first met Jasper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Funnily enough, it only happened six months ago when sophomore year started. Jasper had already been going to Forks High School, but we weren't in the same social circle. Even if I was in several clubs, it was just a big school, and he always hung with the more grunge crowd. They rarely made it to my parties even if they were open invite to everyone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I always hung out with the artists of the school. The theatre kids loved me because I sewed beautifully, and they always needed costumes for the school plays. I couldn't ever say no to a project, so that worked well both ways. They even tried to encourage me to audition because my mother had taught me how to sing—Esme was a terrific musician as well as a great mother. But my crowd was always with the painters and crafters.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drawing and painting have always been a great passion. My mom continuously encourage it by taking me to classes that would develop my artistic side. Combined with sewing, I loved designing. I could spend hours drawing clothing sketches and then making them. That's how Rosalie warmed up to me, actually. She saw one of my drawings once and was mesmerized by it. I told her I could make it for her to go to her sophomore prom, and she jumped right in. I wasn't even in high school, but there was a buzz about me, thanks to how dazzling Rosalie was that day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This year I was thrilled to take on a new elective that would give me some brand new crafting skills. That's why I took carpentry, following Carlisle's suggestion to my wishes. Jasper, too, was taking that class. He later told me that he needed the extra credit because he had failed to sign up for one class last year and the school arranged with him to make up for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hi, I'm Alice, by the way."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm Jasper."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mind if I join you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was sitting in the very back on his own, and I walked up to him and introduced myself. I hadn't seen him at school before, and I was always up for meeting new people. Jasper Whitlock had undoubtedly been the most fascinating of them all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His dad had served in the military, and they had traveled a lot when he was young. Now it was only him and his mother, and she moved back to Forks because that's where she grew up. Jasper hadn't ever been to Forks before. His dad was from Texas, and when he'd be overseas, they were always stationed there. His mom thought Waco was too warm and preferred the northern area of the country. Before Forks, they had spent some time in Northern California and then Seattle. Still, his mother had decided there was nothing wrong with living in a small town, she preferred actually.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper liked it too, he told me once.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's just quieter, people aren't expecting you to </span>
  <em>
    <span>go big or go home,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you know." His voice was a low compass, always very soothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Most people avoided him. Emmett himself told me Jasper seemed cool, just a bit of a freak. At the time, I told him how no one was really all that normal. "He's always silently roaming around the halls. Rose is in this club with him and she never hears his voice," But I always heard Jasper's voice. We talked all the time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edward was also struck that he hadn't seen Jasper at all before I introduced him to the group. He told me he even asked Angela, our school's eyes and ears, as she ran the paper, what was about Jasper. Everyone always said Jasper was a mystery, very closed to himself. So when I broke the news that he was actually amusing and funny, just shy, they all started speculating that he liked me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The possibility flourished something I hadn't been expecting. No one took it that I liked Jasper as well because I was always sociable and outgoing, but I did. Since that first class, it felt as if I had known Jasper for a lifetime. At first, I thought we might be like kindred spirits of some sort, but the truth was we had </span>
  <em>
    <span>very little</span>
  </em>
  <span> that was in common. Yet, we still talked for hours on, discussed the most amazing subjects, and always had a good time together. I was definitely falling for him, but to think he might feel the same indeed took me by surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the Winter Formal fast approaching, I told myself I had to build up the courage to ask him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper was through it all a shy guy, I had picked on that much, and I didn't think he might be the one to go and ask. I didn't even think he might be contemplating going since he hadn't RSVPed to my party. Every school dance was typically followed by an afterparty at the Cullen's household. We had a sizeable backyard, and that avoided messes inside the house. I loved planning it and my brothers loved an opportunity to host. Mom and dad trusted us to be responsible, though I knew a lot of the times Emmett wasn't. The parties were much more anticipated than the dances. But I still hoped Jasper and I could go together. Usually, I wouldn't be that anxious to ask anybody to go with me to the dance. But he wasn't just anybody.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stepped into class earlier to prepare myself for it, only to my surprise that he was already there, at our table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, hey, Jazz." I walked up to him, hanging my bag neatly on the chair. "You're early."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So are you." He greeted me, and I felt the nervousness overtaking me because </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> seemed to be anxious as well. Typically, there was some big welcome, a hug, or a joke. Now he had just smiled brief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My, something's odd today! What's up with you?" I poked his ribcage after I took a seat on the chair next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's nothing, really." He breathed out, and I frowned unconvinced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's just stuff at home." Jasper sighed out. Uh-oh, so maybe this wasn't really the right time to ask him to go to a dance with me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Everything alright with Gabrielle?" I asked about his mom as my hand reached to touch his shoulder, which granted me another smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, it's just that I asked her to borrow the car, and she's going to be on call on the day, so I can't get it." His mom was a lovely lady. She worked at a local retirement home and had the best stories of the elders there. I had never seen Jasper so pressed about a car; normally, I was the one ranting about wanting my own car and he always said he didn't see the appeal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You want to borrow mine?" It wasn't mine as it was shared with my siblings, but I knew my way around them/</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That would defeat the purpose."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" I frowned then, had I missed something? Suddenly, when he smiled, it seemed to sink in me, like a vision coming to my mind. He was going to ask me to the Formal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know you have a big party coming that day, but I thought maybe you would want to not worry about it for a few hours and go to the Winter Formal with me before the big event?" He was blushing, I could tell, shyly looking at me with bright green orbs. My jaw dropped slightly, but I beamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're a party popper, you know that?" He frowned again then. "I was going to ask you myself today." We both shared an amused laughter, and the bell rang right after that. "I would love to go with you, Jazz. And I can pick you up in my car instead since you didn't let me ask you out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I leaned in and pressed my lips against his cheek. All the class was slowly walking into the room and the gazes of surprise were quite obvious. By the time next period started, everyone in the school would know it—the perks of being in a small town.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sounds fair," Jasper added, a grin on the corner of his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We walked out of class hand in hand that day, much to my surprise. It seemed that the prospective Winter Formal date had sparked in us a closeness and intimacy that went beyond just our amazing conversations. In the weeks that followed, Edward mentioned how Jasper was always so drawn to me. He would sit with his chair dragged right next to mine, his eyes would constantly be on me. I honestly couldn't complain; I felt it all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The proximity we grew to have, how my heart slammed my chest when his hand reached for mine under the lunch table. Or when he would go out of his way to walk me to my every class and lean those two feet higher than he was just to peck my cheek. I was frequently leaning against him when we sat or walked together. And blushing. Bella said how I blushed all the time when Jasper was around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I felt that too. My cheeks constantly flustering, burning my skin when Jasper would lean to mumble something in my ear. Most times, there was nothing to it, just an inside joke of ours, or a comment that he didn't want to share with others. It wasn't the subject but the closeness itself, having him there with me. And then there would be the times he would whisper how stunning I was. He used that word and became my favorite, </span>
  <em>
    <span>stunning</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It sounded so much better than just saying beautiful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We started meeting up every day before classes. He walked me up to mine, kissed my cheek goodbye, and then ran up to his. Between periods we would meet in the halls and repeat the routine. He would some days sit at the lunch table with my friends and me, and other days I joined his friends. But we were together every day. I had to stop Emmett from lecturing him at the cafeteria about not hurting his little sister.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I have no doubts Alice would take me down if I ever hurt her, but I have no intention of doing that." He had told Emmett then and made both Edward, walking by my side, and me smile. Edward didn't bother about Jasper all that much like how Emmett did. Both worried, surely, it was just that Emmett was more forward. My oldest brother, on the other hand, would find his own ways of terrifying Jasper eventually.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A moth from the Winter Formal, when he walked me to class after lunch, I told him to come over to my place to finish our carpentry project. I wanted Jasper to meet my parents before the dance. They had been hearing about Jasper for months now, and I had never brought a boy home, so there would be some fuzz. I knew Esme would see the happiness when I was around him, and Carlisle was always on board for whatever mom approved of.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emmett, Edward, and I shared Edwards the car to ride to school, so I just had to tell them I was bringing Jasper home, so they were off my back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We drove home in Jasper's car. It was an old vehicle that had some flair to it. Very well maintained, clearly. A not-so-trendy song from Lorde played on the radio. Although I wasn't paying attention to the lyrics, the melody felt as if it matched our moment fully. The nice speed of the car, the trees passing us by, his voice my harmony. I gazed at him with a grin, knowingly I had fallen madly in love with him. Something in the way he looked me back made me believe he thought the same. I felt so loved.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You've asked and I have listened! I don't know how we'll go about the updates in this fic, but if you like it be sure to leave a comment. I've got a few chapters outlined and your reviews always encourage me! Hope you enjoy it and good reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Our home was way hidden in Forks' high-end area. For no specific reason other than my mom had fallen in love with the spacious and light property when they first moved to Forks almost twenty years ago. They hadn't had Edward yet, and it was more of a <em>couple with no kids </em>place. But even after we were born, mom always found the ways to make it seem homier, not as much as a bachelor house. She always said it had been overwhelming to baby proof the large windows covering walls from top to bottom, or the staircase with a glass railway. But she managed, mom always did. Though she did confess, she almost gave up the house when Emmett came. Ed was a quiet baby, very calm and stubborn, she would tell us, but Emmett was a force of nature and not fully aware he was way bigger than all kids his age. There had been one or two times a window had to be replaced after Emmett played ball somewhere he wasn't supposed to.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">My mom always said I was her sweet princess, especially after two boys, I came to bring her some calming years. She said the only headaches I would give her were wanting to do all sorts of gymnastics and dancing around the house but got solved when she got me into ballet. I loved dancing, frankly, though I grew out of my ballerina pointe shoes, I still took lessons at a private studio in town. Mostly ballroom dance. The wind sensation, of knowing the right steps or completing a routine, I adored it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">My parents supported all my extracurriculars, but mom would often say watching me dance was her favorite. I didn't think about taking it as a career choice, though. It was more of a fun hobby. Drawing and fashion were what drove me. That had been something my mom noticed too. She would often say how I was opinionated on the things I wanted to wear and always grandly bold. I grew up to have a very unique style, and I loved that about myself. It was something I had shared with Jasper before, but now coming to my home, I knew he would see more the depths of it once I gave him a tour of the house. My mother had some of my sketches, her favorite ones, displayed around the house. That was something I loved dearly about mom. She was always so proud of us. Which was why I was so tense for her to meet Jasper.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">I knew my father wasn't getting home until five as he would be in the hospital before that, but there would be plenty of time regardless. I was a pile of nerves when I pointed the house, and Jasper pulled over by the sidewalk. His eyes were wide and impressed. I hadn't realized until then that he'd never seen my place.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You never came to one of the parties, huh," I commented, and Jasper shook his head, still surprised. "My mom loves the space. They've had this house since they first moved to Forks."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Looks awesome." He stepped out of the car and rushed to catch up to me, opening the door.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Wait until you see it on the inside."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">I could tell he was tense, but I couldn't say if the house intimidated him or if it was the prospect of meeting my parents. He took my hand, and his palms were anxious, so I rubbed it with my thumb.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Inside the house, I immediately announced my presence. I managed to text my mom, still at school, about bringing Jasper home so she wouldn't be surprised. She hated some surprises. Birthdays and events, mom could cope with. But when she wanted to prepare herself to be a good host, she liked to be ready with the very best. But even then, I don't think Esme could <em>hate</em> anything. Even her most awkward smiles were the warmest ones.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She greeted us at the door, with that welcoming beam and open arms that no one ever resisted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hello, sweetheart," Esme hugged me first, pecking the top of my head for a brief second. Then she moved on to receive Jasper. "Oh, Jasper, it's so nice to finally meet you!"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Ma'am." Jasper returned the smile shyly but accepted Esme's warm greets. "Thanks for having me over."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You're a dear, truly it's great to have you with us. Alice has been talking about you all the time."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Mom..." I rolled my eyes, though a grin settled on my lips when Jasper's eyes crossed my way. Just on queue, the door opened behind us again. Emmett and Edward had arrived.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Rambling nonstop, that's more like it!" Emmett said in a good laughter. Didn't even seem like the same guy trying to intimidate Jasper at the cafeteria. "Sup, Jasper."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Emmett, Edward, hey." Jasper nodded at the boys, who were all removing their jackets.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Boys, no mess, I just cleaned up the house." They amplified their wait out into the house with that. She continued, "Alice, honey, give Jasper a tour and then come join me at the dining. I made a snack for you guys before you go on to finish the project."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Thank you, ma'am, that's very kind," Jasper repeated it, and my mom gave him a warm smile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Oh dear, please, you can call me Esme. The amount Alice talks about you, it's like I practically know you." She left us with that and exited into the kitchen. My cheeks we flustered, I knew that from the heat coming from them. Jasper only smirked slightly at me.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"So you talk about me a lot, huh?" I bit my bottom lip and smiled, feeling the burning on my face grow redder. Jasper didn't add anything else. He just leaned closer and placed a kiss right on my colored cheekbone. My eyes found him standing so close when I looked up from the floor.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Linking our fingers, I sighed out my embarrassment. "So, tour, shall we?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Free of our coats, we strolled the first floor that had a large and open living room, the kitchen and dining area, my dad's office with an immense amount of books, and my mom's music room.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"She plays the cello since she was fifteen, it's beautiful, really! I'll see if she plays for us." I told him as we moved through the steps to the second floor.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Do you play any instruments?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"No, just mom and Edward." I shook my head. "I mean, I dab a little on Edward's piano, but nothing like him. I'm musical in other ways." I explained, and Jasper seemed to remember.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You dance."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Yes. So do you, though I've never seen you at the dance club or the school musical." His face of disapproval made me chuckle.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I don't think that's the style that I dance. And I'm sure yours too is much more gracious than my polka." What I wouldn't give to see Jasper dance like that. Maybe all we needed was a western-themed party. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Funnily enough, I always took you for the more grunge type." Jasper laughed, and that actually made me frown. "What?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I guess it's the long hair and quietness that gives that impression." I took a moment to reflect on it. "Didn't you notice the cowboy boots, though?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I did! I figured it might be a trend I didn't know about."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Like that's possible." So he did remember about my passions and all our conversations, it seemed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a family room where Edward's piano and a large TV occupied the space on the top floor. The couches turned to these key elements. On the wall by the piano stood one of my designs. I had made that sketch for mom, of a wedding dress she was to wear on her twenty-fifth anniversary with dad. I did that one for her two years ago, and I still remember the tears in her eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"That one is mine." I pointed the drawing. "I had no clue of how to make a dress like that when I drew it for mom, I just adored the concept. But I promised her I'm going to make it for her twenty-fifth anniversary," I told Jasper about how emotional it got her. It made him squeeze my hand slightly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I think that's awesome." He smiled, "And it's a beautiful sketch, you're very talented, Alice. Is that what you think about doing?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">I nodded, "Yeah, I can see myself leaning toward it. What about you?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I have no idea yet." He sighed. Clearly, it troubled him on some level.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You have time to figure that out."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Yeah, I just wanna make sure I stay close to home. My ma has been through enough." It was so kind and so sweet that he was such a great son.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Seattle has great programs, and it's not too far out." I had been looking at their courses myself. As much as I would love to go to Paris or New York, I loved my family, and it would be nice to be close to them. Edward was going to Canada, not too far out, just a few hours drive. But I suspected it was because of Bella.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I need to look into that."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">I dragged him to the hall and pointed at my brother's doors. Emmett had his open as he sat doing his homework. That was his routine. He always got it over with, so he could go on enjoying the rest of the day. And that meant either playing ball or going over to Rose's place. Edward's door was closed, which meant he was on the phone with Bella or taking a nap.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"My parents' is that last door, and the one next to it, it's the boys' bathroom. I get my own." I chuckled. Oh, the perks of being the baby girl of the house. "Come, let me show you my room."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">My door was on the other end of the hall, so we passed the family room again and the second-floor balcony area to enter the only entry on the other side. It had a large window that opened to the nicest view of the woods. The room was huge, and very <em>me</em>. The decoration wasn't too tacky or teensy. I had a queen bed with nicely layered navy blue bedding and a fair amount of pillows. All fully so I could sink into when I went to sleep. The decoration was very minimalist but modern, straight out of Pinterest. By one of the windows, I had a table with my sewing machine and all my sketches taped to it on the sidewall.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jasper stepped into the room in silence and took a look around, eyes finally landing on the sketches. He got closer to look at them as I watched him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You really got a talent, Alice, and I know nothing about fashion." He really didn't. I had noticed his style to be very peculiar. But I had to admit that Jasper couldn't really look bad on <em>anything</em> that he tried on. He was <em>dazzling</em>, really. I wasn't so fond at first of the cowboy boots choice, but they just <em>fit</em> him so well.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Thanks, Jazz." Our eyes met after I sat on the bed. He came to sit next to me after a moment, and I saw our fingers interlacing again. I watched how our fingers were together, my hand so small inside his and yet such a perfect fit.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Your house is great, but thanks for bringing me to your space. It's awesome to get yo know you like this." His thumb brushing against my palm brought a chill to my spine.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"It's great that you're here."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"How about tomorrow you come over and see my place? My mom is dying to meet you too. You're not the only one talking nonstop." He confessed the last part quietly, and I could tell that made him self-conscious, but I adored the blush it brought to his cheeks. I, too, found myself blushing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I'd love that."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">*</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a snack with my mom, we headed to the garage to finish our project. My dad had it all set up for the entire year for me, so I could try doing carpentry projects outside of school. The station was a mess because I tried to make a tray that my mom could use in the bathtub. She had seen something on Pinterest where she could lay a glass of wine there and some appetizers. Honestly, Esme deserved it. She was always patient but handling three strong-headed kids like we were wasn't an easy task.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Jasper didn't seem to mind the mess when I began rambling and apologizing about it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"That's really nice you're making something for her."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Well yeah, she's the best. Dad will use it too, I know, and as he set up the station for me, it ends up being a gift for both." I explained as I cleared out the space for us to work on the project.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I brought out the blueprint you did. I can mark and do the cuttings, and you sand and assemble?" He suggested and I nodded promptly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Working with Jasper was easy. We always had something to talk about, and even when we didn't, the silence didn't feel at all uncomfortable. We got along well. In the first month of classes, he had told me how much he enjoyed hanging out. Apparently, many people looked at him as a freak, but I really didn't see that.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was different than the rest of my friends. It was hard to explain, but it wasn't just my obvious attraction for Jasper. I definitely felt calmer around him, as if he had this sort of aura that relaxed me. Often times carpentry was the time of the day I looked forward the most just for the prospect of being with him. Sharing that outside of school was even more mesmerizing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Should I put some music?" I asked at some point while sanding down one of the pieces.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Depends on what you're going to play." Jasper taunted, making me roll my eyes. Music was one of our endless discussions. I held onto particular singers like Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Ed Sheeran. He had a very eclectic southern taste. Most of our didn't really fit together.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I actually made a playlist we can listen while working. The best of our tastes." I told him, and Jasper gazed me, intrigued. <em>The Love Club</em> by Lorde played through the speakers of my phone, and Jasper immediately laughed. "I said best of both, so there's plenty of mine too."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I'm not complaining, I promise."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Not yet." I scoffed, making Jasper nod.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I actually like this one." He told me. "Not so much the melody, but the lyrics are interesting."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I think it's very <em>me</em>, I don't know." I never really gave that much thought to the lyrics, though I did know what they were saying. It wasn't an exercise that I did, of over-analyzing what they were singing. If I thought a song communicated to me, I played it repeatedly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Because you got your own little club?" Jasper asked then, head tilted as if <em>he </em>was analyzing the meaning of me liking it so much.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I don't know, do I?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Well yeah, you, the Hale and the Swan girl." I had to laugh at that. Jasper had sat with us during lunch a couple of times, and he was still not that involved in the group, it seemed. "And Seth."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I wouldn't call us so much of a club."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You do hang out together a lot. Hale is not the most friendly of all people and yet is still a strong group leader. Swan is very much the shy out of place that was adopted by the group. Seth is the big brains with crazy schemes. I'd call that a group." He laughed at his own conclusions, I was impressed at the similarity, but all I could do was raise a brow at him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"What about me? How do I fit in this little <em>club</em>."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You're the glue to the group. You keep them all together because you can adapt to each of their personalities and make anyone feel welcome. And they accept whatever you propose because they trust you." I watched as Jasper looked down, and a crooked smile danced on his lips. "Even bringing the school freak into the group."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That made me gasp with a chuckle. "You're not a freak."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I was talking about Leah." He said playfully. Leah Clearwater was Seth's older sister, who had just moved to Forks a few months back. Before, she lived abroad with her mother for the longest time, but she was brought back home to live with her brother and father when the woman passed away.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Leah and Jasper got along really well as both had lost a parent at some point, and Jasper did have that calming spirit that seemed to ease things for those around them. Even when I thought Leah might be interested in Jasper (and a hint of jealousy took over me), I never really regretted bringing her into our group. Seth was one of my favorite people in the world. He dealt with their mother's loss a lot better than Leah, who had a lot ripped from her in the process. He once told me how much better Leah was doing after she started hanging out with us (and it turned out she wasn't really interested in Jasper, so that was a bonus).</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was a peculiar girl, I guess one of the reasons she became such good friends with Jasper. He was quite different from the regular teenager. In the lunch group, Jasper was undoubtedly closer to Seth and Leah than he was to Bella and Rose. I stood there in the middle of them all, so I guess he wasn't wrong about me being the glue after all.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Right!" I mocked, and Jasper looked at me, fakely appalled.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"So that is what you really think of me, huh? I'm the group's freak."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"And Leah is the artistic one among us." I teased, a smirk dancing my lips.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I see!" Jasper lamented, making me giggle.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"It's okay, silly. I like the freaks."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">My heart sunk to my chest the minute I said that as I processed what it all meant. Sure we were going to the dance together, but that didn't really <em>mean</em> anything. My feelings for Jasper had been really evident for a while, but through it all, we were friends and I didn't really want to mess that up.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gazed me in a way I hadn't been expecting. We were standing in front of each other, the carpentry table between us, but the tension was almost palpable. Was it a good or bad thing, though? Maybe he didn't feel that way for me. I could be reading all the closeness wrong. It could just be we were <em>best friends</em> and nothing beyond that. Friends did go to school dances and spend a lot of time together (and held each other's hands every day on their way to lunch), right? I didn't want to jump into any resolutions. Still, it was problematic with my heart racing so violently against my chest.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Luckily I was saved by the bell on my slight slip when my father opened the garage door. I hadn't even noticed how fast the time had passed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I hear the famous Jasper is here!" Carlisle said as he stepped into the room. I rushed to pause the music and run up to give him a hug.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hey, dad." I could only hope he wouldn't embarrass me in front of the boy I liked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hi, sweetie. How was your day?" He planted a kiss to the top of my head—which wasn't hard given my height.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Great!" I said quickly and let go of him. "Dad, this is my friend Jasper. Jazz, this is my dad Carlisle."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Nice to meet you, sir." Jasper reached to shake my dad's hand. "Thank you for having me over."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Ah, don't worry about it! It's nice to meet Alice's friends, especially the one she talks about so much." Of course, he would say that.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Dad…" I rolled my eyes casually, Jasper chuckled at it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I hope she's saying all the good things. Not that there would be any bad ones, sir." He rushed to say, clearly nervous. What could Jasper be so anxious about if we were <em>just friends</em>?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"All good things, son. And please, call me Carlisle." Dad said very kindly, a smile set across his lips. "Your mother asked me to bring you kids, inside, dinner is ready."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"We'll just organize it here and be right over."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Alright, don't be too long. Bella and Rosalie are here too and your mom made Texan-style barbecue." Carlisle said as he was already heading over to the door. I couldn't help but laugh at Jasper's mesmerizing and radiant smile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I thought I smelled something familiar." He said then, sounding so touched.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Mom likes to impress. She did an Italiano feast when she first met Bella." I commented with a chuckle as I began collecting our materials. I noticed Jasper wasn't moving, so I looked up to meet his gaze. "What?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Nothing, nothing." He trailed off, blushing, and quickly busying with stacking up the pieces we had finished. Something throbbed inside me, but I couldn't grasp what was.</span>
</p>
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